


And the Greatest of These is Love

by owl_coffee



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Brothers, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 22:43:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2205771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owl_coffee/pseuds/owl_coffee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter finds out that Peridan and Edmund are lovers. He is *not* happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And the Greatest of These is Love

Peter slammed the door of his chamber shut and immediately the argument began. "King Edmund, how could you?" asked Peter furiously. "Shaming me in front of the entire court!"  
"It's not like that," said Edmund, quietly. "Peridan and I are very discreet. It's only chance that one of your people saw - "  
"And why should I have to rely on hearsay to know what my own brother is doing? You're my spymaster, Edmund, I have to be able to trust you absolutely! Why didn't you tell me?"  
"Because I knew you'd react badly," said Edmund.  
"Well, there's no choice but to give it up. Put him aside, Ed. I can't stand to see you humiliated in this way any more." Peter's tone was his most severe, elder-brother-ish.  
"You humilitated, you mean. I don't care. I would be proud to show this in front of everyone, if I could." Edmund tried to be defiant, feeling a little sick. He hadn't anticipated Peter being quite this furious about it. Surely he had gotten used to the Narnian customs around them by now? Clearly not in this case.  
"You must give him up."  
"You can't make me. I won't." Edmund would do anything, had done everything for his brother the High King, but he would not give up this. "You're my brother, Pete, not Father to tell me what to do."  
"I am also your _King_ , or did you forget that? I can order you to do it. Put him aside."  
"Then you will be my High King no longer," Edmund said simply.  
"You would commit treason over him?" asked Peter incredulously. "Where would you go? What would you do?"  
"We'd find something. Peter please, just take a while to think about it, if -"  
Peter abruptly changed tack. "Did Father know about this? Before we left - was there anything before?"  
"There might have been some reports at school."  
"Edmund!"  
"Everyone did it, Peter, it's not as if it was out of the ordinary! It was bloody boarding school, no one should have cared!"  
"Well it's got to stop now. You can't do this. It's disgusting!"  
Edmund was shaking now, close to tears. Peter could always make him bawl when they were younger, shameful to feel he still had that power now. "Why are you so angry? I hate it when you act this way!"  
"Of course I'm angry! This is no way to behave. Acting like a depraved Calormene. Did he start it? I knew Peridan couldn't be trusted, for all he acts like a true-born Narnian now - " Peter sounded bitter.  
"How dare you come the prude with me? When I know for a fact you've bedded half the ladies of this court, two last month alone. At least I am loyal!"  
"That's different," said Peter with gritted teeth.  
"Why, Peter? Why is it different?"  
"Because if we were in England now they would put you in prison!" shouted Peter.  
"Well, we aren't in England anymore! Things are different here. And it's not as if none of the others haven't done anything. At least my lover is my own _species_!" Shit, he hadn't meant to bring them into this. He'd promised Lucy -  
"What? You mean Lucy and Mr Tumnus? They aren't - their relationship isn't like that - "  
Edmund couldn't help himself, raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Are you so blind, Peter?"  
"Oh God, I don't want to know this, I don't want to know any of this!" Peter shifted his gaze to the table, where Edmund's latest intelligence report lay neglected, the supposed topic of this meeting. "I suppose I'll have to get someone else to deal with this, while you clear your head. I'll not let you attend Small Council while you're in this situation, nor command the spies. I can't trust you anymore, Edmund. What else have you been hiding?"  
"Nothing, Peter, please believe me. You must not keep me from - "  
"There is nothing I must do. I am High King, and there is nothing I must or must not do." Peter's voice was bleak. "Now get out, and stay out until you can change your mind about this."  
"Then I'll stay out forever."  
Peter suddenly whirled round and grasped Edmund's shoulders, uncomfortably tight. He looked as if he were about to shake him, or strike him, but gave it up and let go. "Won't you see sense, Ed? Won't you ever, ever see sense?"  
Edmund shook himself away and ran.  
  
"I hear you've been sent to Coventry." Her cheerful voice was like sunlight into his gloom.  
"Lucy! How did you get in here?" The door of his chambers had been locked - he was under some sort of polite house arrest, at present. Of course it was a sham - he could pick the thing in a heartbeat, or climb down from the balcony if it came to that. But Edmund did feel rather like the forlorn princess in the tower at times, waiting to be rescued.  
"Asked the rest of the Small Council for the key, of course. _I'm_ still in our brother's good graces."  
"Are you? I'm glad. Sorry, I'm afraid something about you and Tumnus might have slipped out in my - discussion - with Pete."  
Lucy frowned "So that's where it came from. He has been giving us rather odd looks, lately. But nothing's come of it so far - I expect his mind is still rather boggled, not to mention preoccupied with you. Too many shocks in one go."  
"I didn't mean to reveal anything, to anyone. We were being so careful, Luce!" Edmund's voice became a wail, involuntarily. "And I haven't heard anything about what's happening now, none of my usual sources are speaking to me. Can't blame them. Nothing from Peri - " He was cut off by a hug from Lucy, abrupt and tight. Leaning into her smaller shoulders, Edmund felt safer, somehow. If a tear soaked into her dress, Lucy pretended not to notice.  
"It's going to be all right, Ed. I promise. Susan and I are trying to talk him round right now, and we will sort out something. A High King without any other Kings and Queens would be a pretty sorry creature." The implication was clear.  
"I don't want you to rebel over me. It's not worth it." But Edmund was touched.  
"Now, do you want to send Peridan a note, or anything? I'm afraid smuggling him in here would be a bit beyond even my Queenly authority, but I could get something to him." Lucy released him, and gave an anxious smile.  
"Oh, _would_ you? I've been worried sick over what might happen to him. I couldn't bear it if Peter took it into his head to punish Peri."  
"Now, don't take this the wrong way, but Peridan has been sent away. His post's been taken from him, and he thought it would be best if he wasn't seen around court for a while."  
"Where is he? Is he all right?" Peridan had no family in Narnia to turn to. What would he do?  
"I sent him to stay with the Beavers for the moment, to have some peace and quiet. Some members of the court weren't - weren't very nice when they found out what had been going on. They saw it was a way of getting on Peter's good side."  
"I'll bet it was Lord Folse. That hypocrite! But he's always hated Peri, Peri's worth half a hundred of him. I could kill him - who else?"  
"There's no point your knowing, Ed, it'll just worry you. Peridan's safe from them now." Lucy was trying to sound upbeat, Edmund could tell. "Now, what about that note?"  
  
She stayed while he wrote it, then promised to deliver the thing herself, on her fastest horse. Making him promise to obey his house arrest for now while she sorted things out, Lucy left.  
  
The days dragged on slowly, with no more visitors. Susan sent a comforting note, apologising for being unable to see him - she had been despatched early to her betrothal negotiations with Archenland, and Edmund was certain why. His support at Court was not entirely gone, however. One of his favourite spies, Allison, sent an ostentatiously large blossom arrangement that took two servants to carry inside. It looked like she had grown them herself. Allison's wife was another female Dryad, Elinor.  
  
But there was no sign of Peter, and no change. Peri sent a letter, care of Lucy. He was safe with the Beavers but being foolish, suggesting all sorts of mad things - that he could leave Narnia for a few years so all the trouble would blow over without him, that Edmund might find someone else more suitable if Peri left. Reading the letter over made Edmund feel worse and worse. This was not Peridan's fault! By this time Edmund was going mad with boredom, having read all of the books in his chambers and paced back and forth fit to wear a hole in the floor. Edmund was better at patience than Peter, always had been, but the part of him that urged him to just run away with Peri and leave this whole mess behind was shouting louder and louder each day.  
  
On the fifth day, Edmund awoke early to a feeling that something was different. A fizzing sort of sensation, as if anything could happen - the way it had felt when Narnia was waking up after the long winter, coming to life as they watched. "Aslan?" Edmund whispered, getting up and shrugging on his night gown. It was still dark outside and the door to his chamber stood unlocked. He slipped out and into the corridor. The guards outside were sleeping at their posts, and though he moved silently he had a feeling they wouldn't have woken if he'd shouted. Edmund should have been deeply worried, suspicious of an invasion, dark magic. Instead he felt a greater peace than he had in days. His steps took him to the doors leading outside, the terrace by the sea. What he saw there stopped him from going any further. By the full moon's light, he saw his brother beside the one he'd hoped - feared - had come. Pacing beside Peter was the great lion Aslan, and they were holding a quiet conversation. Edmund stood frozen in the doorway. What if Aslan agreed with Peter? Perhaps this really was wrong, for all his brave words. If Aslan told him to put Peri aside - he couldn't bear it.  
  
Perhaps he let out some small sound. Aslan's head turned and looked full upon him. "King Edmund," said the rich, resonant voice, "Come and speak with your brother and I. There is much to remedy here."  
"Y-yes, Aslan." His legs unfroze and he stepped closer. Aslan stepped back a little, to give the two of them room.  
Peter looked almost ashamed. "Listen, Ed - " he began, then stopped. "Aslan's explained a little to me, and I think - I think I understand it better now. The law of England, well, it doesn't have to be the law of Narnia. The Deep Magic is made for vengeance. We all know that by now. But the Deeper Magic is - well, it's love. I guess I didn't see that. I got so angry I didn't see you properly."  
"Pete, I - " Edmund was suddenly overcome with emotion. "I don't know what to say."  
"Well, I do. I think I owe you an apology. And I think I need to let Peri come back to Court. As to the rest - I can work on getting used to it. I promise to try." Peter looked determined. "Shake? Like we used to?"  
Edmund broke into a smile. "Oh yes." With the great lion beside them, moonlight glittering on the waves below, the two Kings of Narnia spat on their palms and shook solemnly. Aslan's great roar of approval shook the Cair Paravel to its towers, shaking many Narnians in their beds and giving them sweet dreams. 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from 1 Corinthians 13:13. I wanted to show a little of the likely outcome of the Pevensies' English 1930s upbringing with a realistic reaction to Edmund's sexuality by Peter. At the same time, Narnia doesn't have to be like England of that time, so Peter has a few lessons to learn. Hopefully not too heavy handed with my Aslan usage! He does tend to be rather deus ex machina-y. In my head canon, Peter continued to struggle with Edmund and Peri's relationship but came to an acceptance and love of Peri as a brother in law.


End file.
